August 2015

On Monday, August 3, 2015, President Obama announced the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Clean Power Plan rule, which will sharply cut emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from existing power plants in the United States. The final rule will reduce nationwide GHG emissions from power plants to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, though targets will vary by state. This mandate is more stringent than the 30 percent bar set in EPA’s June, 2014 proposed rule (although deadlines for finalizing state plans have been relaxed), and represents the most significant climate change regulation to date in the United States. read more